with Singapore - US Chamber of Commerce

MANUFACTURINGIndustry: Heavy ManufacturingNumber of U.S. Employees: Approximately 950Main Products Sold to Singapore: Parts Used in YachtConstructionYears of Involvement in Singapore: 35Industry: Contract Engineering Design and ManufacturingServicesNumber of U.S. Employees: 15Major Products Sold to Singapore: Bar Code ScannersYears of Involvement in Singapore: 8GRAND BANKS YACHTSSeattle, WashingtonRobert Livingston, Chairman and CEOwww.grandbanks.comGrand Banks Yachts was founded in 1962 and isrecognized worldwide for its long-standing traditionof superior craftsmanship, evidenced by its threeproduct lines. Since Singapore is the world’s busiest port,Grand Banks was forward-thinking to recognize theopportunities the region offered. In 1968, primary buildingfacilities were movedto Singapore to takeadvantage of theregional supply ofteakwood and skilledcarpenters. An additionalyard was opened inMalaysia in 1994.Grand Banksmaintains a trulyinternational character.As the company’smajor shareholder isAmerican and 81% ofyachts built are soldin the United States,the firm makes aneffort to use Americanmanufactured products. Fifty percent of the materials used inconstruction are American made; they include copper fittingsfrom Indiana, engine mounts from Pennsylvania, Caterpillarengines from Illinois and fabrics from Florida.A U.S.-Singapore FTA would fortify this dynamic. Lowertariffs would facilitate the use of American parts inconstruction and would increase buying incentives forGrand Banks’ U.S. clients. “It would be a win-win allaround,” said Grand Banks’ Chairman and CEO, RobLivingston, “ American manufacturers would benefit fromour continued use of their products and our customerswould be spared high import taxes.”INDUSTRIAL SCAN, INC.Sanford, FloridaIshwar S. Singh, President and CEOwww.industrialscan.comFounded in 1991, Industrial Scan, Inc. (ISI) designs,manufactures, and distributes bar code scanningequipment for the automatic identification and datacapture industries and the commercial market place. The firm’scustomers includeFortune 500 companiesin transportation,healthcare, security anddistribution. ISI’s 15employees are based inSanford, Florida.For the past eightyears, ISI has exportedbar code scanners toSingapore; the companyhas tallied a 3% increasein gross sales sincelaunching its Singaporeexport program. IshwarSingh, president andCEO, credits ISI’sinternational successto its customization of products and the accessibility ofpost-sale support. Singh is confident that the U.S.-SingaporeFTA will boost sales to Singapore. “With an increasingnumber of businesses in Southeast Asia, the marketdemand for bar code equipment will continue to grow.Many manufacturers and services require our productsto run efficiently; we see reduced tariffs as advancingthis relationship.”15